Brachycorythis tenuior flower profile

Seen from the side a Brachycorythis tenuior flower shows off its alluring features, including its many colours well:

The lip below (the flower is resupinate), is deep bluish purple. At the tip of the lip in picture there is a small red purple mark; at its base there is some white with scattered dark purple spots. The lip is large, indistinctly three-lobed and up to 13 mm long. Its “mid-lobe” protrudes forward, more or less below the horizontal, its shape ovate and convex. The back part of the lip (below) forms a blunt, broadly tapering spur. It is pale brown to green, up to 9 mm long with a rounded, down-curved tip. Many Brachycorythis species have no flower spur at all.

The hood at the opposite end, the top of the flower, comprises the dorsal sepal and the lateral petals in tightly flanking support. The hood in picture is S-shaped, grooved and pale purple in colour.

The two pale purple, spreading lateral sepals are broad and up, curving in towards their rounded tips. Faint purple spots are scattered upon their outer surfaces.

Flowering happens from midsummer to early autumn (Lowrey and Wright, 1987; www.zimbabweflora.co.zw).